GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL

1. Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO) Appointment

• Appoint a Grievance Redressal Officer (GRO) responsible for handling complaints related to content, editorial policy, privacy, and any other issues.
• Provide clear contact information of the GRO, including an email address, phone number, and postal address on the website.

2. Submission of Grievance

• User-friendly Form: Create an easy-to-use online complaint form on the website. Include the following fields:
  • Complainant’s name and contact information.
  • Nature of the grievance (e.g., factual inaccuracy, defamation, bias, privacy breach).
  • URL/link to the article or news content.
  • Description of the complaint.
• Alternatively, allow grievances to be submitted via email or postal mail.

3. Acknowledgment of Complaint

• Once a complaint is received, send an automated acknowledgment within 24 hours, providing a complaint reference number for tracking.

4. Review and Investigation

• The GRO or a dedicated team should review the complaint thoroughly.
• If required, seek clarification from the editorial team, journalists, or other relevant departments.
• In cases of sensitive complaints (like defamation or ethical violations), involve a third-party ombudsman or an independent review committee.

5. Resolution Timeline

• Grievances should be resolved within 30 days from the receipt of the complaint.
• For complex complaints (e.g., legal disputes), the complainant should be informed about the extended time frame.

6. Communication of Resolution

• Once the investigation is complete, communicate the outcome to the complainant via email or mail.
• If the complaint is valid, corrective actions can include:
  • Content correction (editing/removing articles).
  • Apology or clarification (in case of inaccuracies or ethical breaches).
  • Editorial policy changes if systemic issues are found.
• If the grievance is rejected, provide a detailed explanation of why it was dismissed.

7. Appeal Process

• If the complainant is unsatisfied with the resolution, offer an appeal process where the grievance can be escalated to a higher authority within the organization, such as the Editor-in-Chief or an external body like a media regulatory authority.

8. Public Transparency

• Maintain a grievance log and publish summaries (without sensitive information) of resolved complaints on the website.
• Regularly update the public about changes in editorial practices that stem from grievance redressal feedback.

9. Legal Compliance

• Ensure the grievance redressal mechanism complies with relevant laws and regulations, such as the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules in India.

10. Prominent Display

• Ensure that the grievance redressal process is clearly visible on the website, preferably on the homepage and in the footer section. Include links in the “Contact Us” and “Terms and Conditions” sections as well.